Trying to Eat Seasonably

In the wake of the Fast Food Bracket that this blog has made famous, I wanted to offer anotherÂ alternative perspective for those So Good readers that might not be huge fans of angioplasty.Â I recently read a post from Fast Company that made me think about one of my favorite activities: grocery shopping.Â When you walk into your local store, you see a tremendous diversity of fruits and vegetables â€“ most of which that were grown in a faraway place and flown/trucked in so that you can have access to these products year-round.Â Have you actually considered that most of this produce was picked long, long ago because itÂ is not in season where you live?Â My guess is probably no.Â Fast Company references a seasonal food calendar from Eat Seasonably that I think is great.Â On a month by month basis, the interactive calendar shows what is in season â€“ from blueberries to sweet corn.Â The philosophy here is that locally grown food is better for you, is cheaper, and has less impact on the planet â€“ all good things.Â Just something to consider next time you are looking at that shinyÂ apple from New Zealand.Â

Or conversely, KFCâ€™sDouble Down is available in 4 daysâ€¦ why eat veggies when you can eat a bacon sandwich with fried chicken for bread?Â See, there is something for everyone on this site.

I eat seasonably for the most part simply for the noticable difference in freshness and flavor. That strawberry you eat in December is probably going to taste terrible compared to the one you eat in May. Also, products in season are noticeably better, but you also have to buy it from the right place. You typically get a much better product from farmers markets and other small shops than you would from the large supermarkets.

There is a school of thought that eating locally (though not necessarily locally and seasonably) can be more detrimental to the environment. For example, living in Toronto, I would not be able to eat any fruits or vegetables during the winter months without relying on environmentally expensive preservation techniques (whether refridgeration or green-houses). I suppose I could pickle my own carrots and tomato, but that isn’t likely given a modern lifestyle.

I found a local farm that had a subscription service, and it has a calendar of its seasonal menu. That seems to be the best way to find out what is really in season where I live, but buying those things sourced locally and not grown in greenhouses is another thing.

It is hard to know where our food is from without becoming major PITAs.

There is a school of thought that eating locally (though not necessarily locally and seasonably) can be more detrimental to the environment. For example, living in Toronto, I would not be able to eat any fruits or vegetables during the winter months without relying on environmentally expensive preservation techniques (whether refridgeration or green-houses). I suppose I could pickle my own carrots and tomato, but that isn’t likely given a modern lifestyle.

I found a local farm that had a subscription service, and it has a calendar of its seasonal menu. That seems to be the best way to find out what is really in season where I live, but buying those things sourced locally and not grown in greenhouses is another thing.

It is hard to know where our food is from without becoming major PITAs.

I eat seasonably for the most part simply for the noticable difference in freshness and flavor. That strawberry you eat in December is probably going to taste terrible compared to the one you eat in May. Also, products in season are noticeably better, but you also have to buy it from the right place. You typically get a much better product from farmers markets and other small shops than you would from the large supermarkets.